Page:The crater; or, Vulcan's peak.djvu/218

21*2 THE CRATER; rniliar to her in imagination ; but, she wished to become more intimately acquainted with each and all. For Kitty she really entertained a decided fondness, and even the pigs, as Mark s companions, had a certain romantic value in her eyes. The morning was taken for the departure, and just as the little craft got out from under the lee of the Peak, and began to feel the true breeze, the sun rose gloriously out of the eastern waves, lighting the whole of the blue waters with his brilliant rays. Never did Vulcan s Peak appear more grand or more soft for grandeur or sublimity, blended with softness, make the principal charm of noble tropical scenery than it did that morning; and Bridget looked up at the dark, overhanging cliffs, with a smile, as she said " We may love the Reef, dear Mark, for what it did for you in your distress, but I foresee that this Eden will eventually become our home." " There are many things to render this mountain prefer able to the Reef; though, now we are seriously thinking of a colony, it may be well to keep both. Even Rancocus would be of great value to us, as a pasture for goats, and a range for cattle. It may be long before the space will be wanted by human beings, for actual cultivation ; but each of our present possessions is now, and long will con tinue to be, of great use to us as assistants. We shall live principally on the Peak, I think myself; but we must fish, get our salt, and obtain most of our vegetables from the Reef." " Oh ! that Reef, that Reef how long will it be, Mark, before we see it?" The enamoured young husband laughed, and kissed his charming wife, and told her to restrain her impatience. Several hours must elapse before they could even come in sight of the rocks. These hours did pass, and with the occurrence of no event worthy of being recorded. The Trades usually blew fresh in that quarter of the ocean, but it was seldom that they brought tempests. Occasionally squalls did occur, it is true; but a prudent and experienced mariner could ordinarily guard against their consequences, while the hurricane seldom failed, like most other great _j